The present invention relates to a hands free device for marking a chalk line for use in construction, home improvement and the like.
Conventional chalk line marking devices employ a chalk line that is wound up around a spool within a case or dispenser. During use, the chalk line is extended and held taut near the workpiece surface to be marked. Typically, this requires two workers—one to hold the end of the chalk line and one to hold the dispenser. The chalk line is then grasped and released by one of the workers so that it snaps back toward the surface, thereby depositing a chalk line on the workpiece surface. Or, one worker may devise a way to secure one end of the line using a weight or the like. In any event, the procedure is inconvenient. A handle is attached to the dispenser to allow the line to be wound back into the case after use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,962 discloses a chalk line marking device with an internal trigger mechanism for snapping a chalk line in combination with a chalk line positioning element. This marking device is quite complicated and costly in comparison to the within invention. Further, the '962 patent device does not snap the chalk line at a position remote from the device, nor does it disclose a plunger mechanism or cone-shaped housing as in the within invention.